Page 20 of Fated to the Alien Healer

Considering dried drool is crusted in the corner of my mouth and I don’t remember anything since I closed my eyes yesterday, I’d say I slept shockingly rather well. “I did.”

“I am glad.”

We continue staring at the other, neither of us moving. His warm breath ghosts across my cheek. Are these Tavikhi pure perfection or something? There’s not a hint of gross morning breath in the air. Instead, Kyler’s smells like he sucked on a mint leaf all night.

I’m sure mine smells like dead and rotting dreri meat. Sometimes life is entirely unfair.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, I blink and break eye contact. Then I carefully push myself upright and adjust my arm that’s half out of the sling, wincing at the pain.

“Here.”

An animal skin appears in front of me. I take it from him with a mumbled thanks and drink the remainder of the bitter water inside. As nasty as the stuff is, I’ll admit it takes the edge off. God knows how much hurt I’d be in if not for the pain reliever.

Now that I’m awake, my bodily functions are making themselves known. “Can I get your help, please?”

“Of course.” Kyler brings me to my feet and, like we have several times now, he leads me to a private spot away from everyone and helps me with my pants.

I lost my sense of modesty after that first time. It’s pointless. Once I’m finished and wash my hand, we head back to where everyone is once again breaking camp. I’m so ready to get back to the village. The first thing I’m going to do is jump in the river and take a bath. I don’t even care how cold it is. I’m absolutely disgusting. I’ve been ignoring how much I stink and the sweater that’s growing over my teeth.

“If we make good time, we should be back to our village before night fall,” Zydon announces, his gaze falling to me before quickly skipping away and traveling to the rest of the group.

Message received: don’t hold us up, Zara.

Kyler holds something out and I glance down. “We all need our energy.”

I take the meat. Everyone has already taken off into the forest so I move as well, eating as I walk. It doesn’t take me long to tell that we are, in fact, heading down. It’s a huge relief from the upward climb we had yesterday. That sucked. If I never see a mountaintop again it will be too soon.

When we get back to the village, I’m never leaving. Not to welcome any new humans who might arrive by ship to the human settlement that’s only about a twenty- or thirty-minute walk from the Tavikhi village. Not to help Sage search for the roots and plants she and Kyler use to make medicine. Nope. I’m keeping my happy ass either at the forge or in my tent. I glance over at the male walking beside me. I suppose now that we’re mates, I’ll be sleeping in his tent.

Come to think of it, I don’t actually know where Kyler’s tent is. I mean, there’s never been any reason to know. But now I’m curious. In fact, my curiosity encompasses more than just where he lives. I know his parents and brother are dead, but other than that, I don’t really know much about him other than he’s a great healer who cares about his patients.

“What do you like to do for fun?” Since my lungs aren’t dying for air, I can actually talk and breathe at the same time.

“Fun?” Kyler says the word like he doesn’t understand its meaning. Damn, maybe he doesn’t.

Everything the Tavikhi do is geared toward survival. We’ve had a few celebrations where we all gather around the central fire and drink, but the occasions have been few and far between.

“Yeah, like when you’re not healing people, what do you like to do in your free time that you enjoy? Any hobbies?”

“I enjoy walking through the forest and searching for roots and plants for healing. Is that what you mean by fun?”

Hell no, that’s not what I mean. That is the exactoppositeof what I mean. “Um, what about anythingnothaving to do with healing?” Or leaving the village borders.

Kyler pauses for several seconds like he’s giving it a lot of thought. Which pretty much tells me everything I need to know. Once again, I’m questioning Deeka. She’s given me a guy who is the complete opposite of me. We have nothing in common.

“There is not much else I do,” he says cautiously as though knowing that’s not at all what I want to hear. “What about you? What do you like to do for…fun?”

It’s been a lifetime ago, but when I was little, Amelia and I used to dance. We would find music on our datapads and dance around her room, laughing, and having the best time. I stopped dancing after she died, but there are days I miss it, and lately, I’ve been finding myself swaying and moving in place when I get dressed in the mornings while I hum a tune…badly.

“Have you ever played Pebbles?”

Kyler’s brow bones shift. “I am unfamiliar with that. Is that the stone game the kits play?”

I laugh lightly. “That’s the one. I taught Talek, Cecily, and some of the other kids, and now they play each other.”

“I have seen this game, but it not something I have experienced for myself.”

“I’ll have to teach you how to play it when we get back.”

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